Case Report: Burns Secondary to Infrared Therapy in a Six-year Old HBSS patient

Abstract

A six-year-old male HbSS patient was referred to the physiotherapy unit of the university teaching hospital, Ado-Ekiti. The boy had earlier presented at his regular clinic during a prolonged vaso-occlusive crisis involving both lower limbs. He was treated with intramuscular (gluteal) injections alongside other management. He later developed a left foot-drop.  After a few sessions of heat(infrared) therapy, the plantar surfaces of all the left toes became scalded and sore. The other foot on which no physiotherapy was applied was normal. Case reports of similar incidents in the literature were reviewed. Possible explanations of the phenomenon were advanced and preventive measures suggested.

Keywords: Physiotherapy; infrared; Thermal energy; Burns